Searching For Summer
by Still Painting Flowers For You
Summary: It's snowing. In the middle of July. No one knows how or why, until Will Solace demands action is taken against it. Which leads to him leading a quest up North and trying to stop the source of this problem. But, of course, tons of things go wrong, making his quest even more impossible to complete. Will / OC , Nico / OC, OC/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Here is my newest story! Review please! :)**

**Chapter 1:**

**Will PoV:**

It snowed. Again. And it's the beginning of summer.

"Chiron! Mr. D!" I whine as I storm into the Big House. "What's up with the weather?"

"What do you mean?" Chiron asks me.

"Haven't you noticed that it's snowing and it's the middle of July?" I remark as I gesture to the falling snowflakes that are all around me.

"Of course we've noticed, but there is nothing we can do about it," Mr. D. snaps.

"But you guys can control the weather on camp…" I start.

"Someone's cursed us," Chiron admits, "and they've blocked all weather except for snow."

"Who would do that?" I ask them.

"Who do you think?" Mr. D. demands.

I think about it for a few moments. "Khione," I sigh. "She's the goddess of snow. But how did she break through the magical borders that protect camp? And, why is she doing this?" I question them.

"How do you expect us to know?" Mr. D. asks me.

I shrug. "But you do have some sort of an idea, right?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?"

"No," I shake my head.

"Well you do!" Mr. D. tells me.

"No need to be mean to the child," Chiron says to him. "We just need time, William."

"I go by Will," I correct him. "And time is the one thing that we don't have! For all we know, this snow that is falling on his right now can be killer snow that can poison us and we can all die from it! We need to act immediately!"

"We need a plan before we do anything…" Chiron starts but I cut him off.

"I've already got a plan," I tell them. "It's called talking to the Oracle and issuing a quest to stop this problem before it gets even worse!" I fume. Usually, I'm a pretty laid back and easy going person, but when people mess with sunshine, I get mad. I mean, I'm strongest in the sun, and my dad is the god of it. I've got my reasons.

"Listen kid, you can't just tell us what to do!" Mr. D. scolds me.

"But he's right," Chiron replies. "We must consult the Oracle."

**Zach PoV:**

"Ariella, it's too dangerous for you," I tell my younger sister. We're only half siblings, but I consider her my real sister.

"No!" she defends. "You did it when you were my age!"

"That's because I was a responsible eleven year old, unlike you," I inform her.

"I'm thirteen!" she corrects me.

"Whatever," I sigh. "But you can't honestly think that it's safe. You can't be trusted in a kitchen, Ariella, remember when you burnt down that hotel in Mexico? So what makes you think that I'm going to let you climb a rock wall with lava rushing down it?"

"I'm a daughter of Poseidon," she crosses her arms. "It takes a while to burn me."

"And I'm a son of Zeus, which means I'm stubborn. But you burnt down an entire hotel!" I remind her. "You almost killed hundreds of people!"

"I put the fire out using the ocean water, so what's the big deal?"

"It coasted mom tons of money for all the damage you caused!" I exclaim.

"She could have charm spoken the manager and gotten out of it," she recalls. "She has that ability as a child of Aphrodite."

"Why would she do that? That's not very responsible!" I reason.

"You're so boring!" she pouts.

"I get it from my father," I tell her. "And you're too laidback all the time."

"Well, you're just jealous that Poseidon is better than Zeus." She taunts me. I love Ariella, but she's _so _annoying sometimes.

"Controlling the skies is much better than controlling water," I reply.

"No! You only say that because your terrified of tsunamis." She challenges.

"And you only think your dad is better because you're scared of heights." I roll my eyes at her.

"Whatever! I'm going to climb it anyway!" she says before running off.

"No you won't!" I scream as I chase after her. It was going to be a long day.

**Nico PoV:**

"I don't want to fight anymore," I announce.

"You only say that because you're mad that you got beat by a girl, and that girl happens to be your sister."

"Well, yeah, Cassia. I am ashamed. I mean, I've had more experience than you." I admit to her as to the Big House. We just spent three hours spearing and she beat me six times in a row.

"Well, I'm glad that I beat you because I just proved the theory of boys being stronger than girls wrong," she smirks.

"You're also a year older than me," I remind her.

"Years don't matter when we're older," she replies.

I open my mouth to say a really clever response of 'whatever,' but this kid from the Zeus cabin runs over to us. "Hey guys. Have you seen Ariella?"

"Hi Zach," I greet. "And I think she was by the climbing wall."

"NO!" he shakes his head. "This is not good! I told her she wasn't allowed on that!"

"She obviously wasn't listening then," Cassia crosses her arms. "But then again, who _does _listen to what you have to say? It's all stupid."

"Ouch," Zach smiles. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me."

"Really?" she smiles fakely as she takes a step towards him. "Because I'm pretty sure I can do some pretty harmful things with words."

I don't really know why, but Cassia and Zach have always had a rivalry. It's really annoying, like I can't even be in the same room with them because they always end up in an argument.

"And if you even attempt to do that, I'll strike you with lightening before you even get a chance."

"I can't die, remember?" Cassia reminds him. "So it would be useless to use all your energy trying to kill me. But you on the other hand, can be killed _very _easily."

"Guys," I sigh. "Break it up, alright? Zach, go save your really annoying little sister, and Cassia, lay off him. He doesn't deserve to die yet."

"He really does," Cassia mutters to herself.

"You know you love me," Zach smirks before running off in the direction of the climbing wall.

"You know it's true," I tell my half-sister.

"In his dreams," she rolls her eyes.

"Maybe in yours too," I crack a smile. "Trust me, Cassia. Most people who hate someone actually have feelings of love towards them, but they express them in that way because they don't want to admit it to themselves."

"When did you become a daughter of Aphrodite?" she raises an eyebrow at me.

"Excuse me?" I say, obviously offended. "Do you I look like a girl to you?"

Cassia looks from my toes to my head. "Yes," she concludes before laughing. Once we arrive at the dinner pavilion, we sit down at our cabin's table. It's kind of lonely, but I've gotten used to it. I mean, who would want to have kids with Hades?

I don't respond because I realize Chiron has a stern and angry look on his face. "Heroes!" he calls, getting everyone's attention. "Today, a prophecy was given. There is an obvious problem, which is the snow falling, and a quest must be issued."

"WHAT WAS THE PROPHECY?" Clarisse shouts.

A kid from the Apollo cabin, who I instantly recognize as Will Solace, the head camper, walks up to Chiron and says:

_"North is the direction the five shall go_

_To end the era of falling snow_

_Son of the archer shall lead this quest_

_Along with brother and sister of different fathers and children of death_

_The reward of summer is what they will earn_

_Because of the six that shall return"_

Everyone looks around, without making a sound, as if a coat of silence was lying on top of us. "We should have a head camper meeting," I suggest.

"No," Chiron shakes his head. "We must do this here. Now, we need volunteers!"

"Me!" Clarisse stands on her seat.

"No!" Will exclaims. "You're not a son of an archer, even though you are pretty manly, or a sibling, or a sky, or a kid of death."

"So obviously the children of death must be children Hades," Zach shouts.

"Zach! Keep your mouth shut!" Cassia yells back at him.

"I'm sorry to say that both Nico and Cassia must go on this quest," Chiron tells us. We get up from our seats and join them in the center of the dinning area.

"But who are brother and sister?" I ask him. "I mean, there are half siblings, but no full siblings."

"Maybe it's referring to Zach and Ariella," Cassia tells him. "They're brother and sister and have different fathers."

"But it could also refer to the campers who have goddesses as their parents," Zach tries.

"I think Rachel would be more specific if that was the case," Cassia snaps.

"Well, maybe I don't want Ariella to go on this quest!" Zach exclaims.

"You guys must go," Chiron says glumly.

"But then who would be the archer's son?" Ariella asks everyone.

"Apollo's children," Will responds and then gulps. "Which means I have to go."

"Well then, dinner is dismissed." Chiron orders and everyone gets up except for the five of us that have to go on this stupid quest. "You five will leave tomorrow at sunrise, alright?"

We all nod and begin to walk away. Once out of earshot, I complain, "But we didn't even get to eat dinner!"

**Hi again! I know a lot of these characters are OCs, so I tried to make you get to know them a little bit in this chapter. If you guys want more information on them, definitely PM me or write it in a review so I can tell you! **

**Remember to review! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey people! **

**It took me SO LONG to write this chapter and I really don't know why... **

**Enjoy and review!**

**Chapter 2:**

**Will PoV:**

It's hard saying goodbye to camp. You never know if you'll survive long enough to come back. And in my current situation, there is an extremely slim chance of me ever returning. Yeah, the prophecy said six people will return, but that could mean that all of us die and six new demigods will come back. I know it's unlikely, but it is possible.

Plus, we're dealing with Khione, the goddess of snow. How are five (or six) demigods supposed to beat a god? She's immortal! And even if we try and fight her, she'll haunt us forever. Ugh! Why did I have to suggest this stupid quest?

I lug my large backpack filled with extra clothing, ambrosia, nectar, batteries, and a flashlight to the porch of the Big House where I see the other campers who are going on this quest sitting on the benches. Zach looks angry, Cassia looks like she's about to have a mental breakdown, Ariella is on the verge of tears, and Nico is just sitting there, emotionless.

"So…" I say as I approach them. "You guys ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Cassia stands up. "Will, you have a plan?"

"Sorta," I admit.

"How can you not have a plan?" Zach demands.

"I do have a plan!" I inform them. "It's not just devolved yet."

"How are we even getting up 'North'?" Ariella asks me. "Do you even know where the 'North' is?"

"Our ride will be here shortly," I tell them. "And I have an idea of where 'North' is. So can you guys please stop asking questions? I've got it all figured out, okay?"

"But you _don't _have it figured out!" Cassia exclaims. "You barely even have a plan!"

"Everyone, lay off of him!" Nico orders as he stands up. "He's stressed, alright? He's only had _one night _to figure this whole quest out! The prophecy barely said anything about what we're doing! Will, unlike all of you, actually has a plan of what we're going to do. So give him a break! I'd like to see any of you in his position."

Everyone goes silent. "Thanks," I whisper to Nico.

"No problem," he sighs before sitting back down.

"So, where is this ride you were talking about?" Ariella asks me.

I scan the horizon until I see it. I point it out to everyone. "It's coming."

"It's about time," Zach mumbles.

I ignore him and watch the speck get larger and larger until I can barely look at it without being blinded with light. "EVERYONE TURN AWAY!" I shout.

**Cassia PoV:**

If Will Solace ever offers to get a ride, run, far away from him. Trust me, it's actually terrible.

"Hi dad!" Will greets the sun god as he steps out of his sun chariot, which is actually a bright yellow Lamborghini.

"Hey guys!" Apollo waves.

"Hold up," Zach stops everyone. "_You're _our ride?"

"Yup," Apollo smiles. "Will said you guys needed someone to talk you North, so here I am!"

"Oh gods," I mutter. "This is going to be great."

"How far up are you taking us?" Ariella questions him.

"Just to Vermont." He answers.

"How far up are we supposed to go?" Zach demands.

"I can't tell you that," he replies. "It would ruin your whole quest!"

"Well, that's kind of the point," Zach responds. "We have no idea where we are even going!"

"You'll figure it out," Apollo tells us. "Now hop in my bus!" His once sports car transforms into a giant bus.

"You know, there's only five of us…" I inform him.

"Yeah, so?"

"Why do you have a forty seater bus for five people?" I question him.

"I like buses," Apollo shrugs.

"Well, I don't."

"Oh well," he smirks. "You're stuck riding in one."

I sigh as I climb on the bus. I walk all the way to the back before sitting down. Much to my dismay, my least favorite person, ever, walks over and sits down next to me.

"Zach!" I whine. "Go sit with your sister! I don't want you back here with me."

"No," he replies. "I'm _not _going to sit with her as she has a mental breakdown because she's going to be in the air. I don't want to deal with that."

"Then go sit with Nico or Will."

"No! I want to stay here."

"Then I'm leaving," I tell him, and try to get up, but he grabs my hand and pulls me back down. "You're pretty strong." I cross my arms.

"No, you're just really short." He replies.

I roll my eyes. As if I didn't know that already. I'm only five foot and done growing.

"So… who do you think the sixth person is going to be?"

"I don't know everything. I'm not a god," I snap.

"No need to be so angry. It was just a simple question," he replies.

"Coming from an extremely annoying kid," I turn away from him and look out the window to see that we've already lifted off the ground and are heading north.

"Ouch."

"Yeah, it was meant to hurt you," I respond.

"It did." He admits.

"Good." I cross my arms just as the rockiness of the car starts. Every inch that we trudge along, we hit a bump.

"This is uncomfortable," Zach says.

"No duh."

"Hey!" he stands up too fast and hits his head onto the top of the bus. **(A/N: You know in those buses in which you have to step up to sit on the seats and the ceiling is lower because of the air controls? It's one of those types.)**

I actually laugh out loud at the sight of his pain.

"I have an idea!" he exclaims.

"Is it to wear a helmet whenever you're in a bus?" I suggest. "Because you obviously need one."

"No," he scowls. "It's that I can control the winds to make this ride smoother!"

"Then go up there and do it!" I demand. "It's a win win situation for me."

"How so?" Zach asks me.

"Well, first, I won't have you bothering me because you won't be sitting with me anymore and second, I'll get a smooth ride with no bumps."

"Nice to know I'm loved," he mumbles on his way up to the front of the bus.

"You aren't!" I call after him. He turns around and glares at me. I smirk back at him. I'm starting to think that I'll actually enjoy this quest. Well, at least one part of it; bothering Zach.

**Hmm... Who's PoV should the next chapter be?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! This is a lot shorter than I wanted, but I didn't know what else to make happen in this chapter. So, it's only about 900 words. Which is still a good amount, right?**

**And I don't own either of the songs used in this chapter, Breaking & Entering belongs to the band Tonight Alive and the song Paint You Wings belongs to All Time Low. They're both amazing so you should listen to them!**

**I also don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Only Rick does... But, I do own my OCs Cassia, Zach, and Ariella.**

**Enjoy and review! ;)**

Chapter 3:

Ariella PoV:

"GET ME OFF OF THIS THING!"

"Ariella, calm down!" Nico instructs me.

"How can I calm down if I'm a thousand feet in the air and Zeus hates me?" I exclaim. "Air travel and I don't mix!" I struggle with my seatbelt, trying to get free, but Nico grabs my arms.

"Close your eyes and pretend you're on a boat," Nico tells me.

I do what he says, and after about three seconds, I shout, "IT'S NOT WORKING!"

"That's because you just started!" Nico rolls his eyes at me. "Give it time."

"I don't have time! Zeus is going to kill me!"

"Zeus hates of children of his brothers. How do you think Cassia and I are feeling? We're not freaking out." He recalls.

"But your mother didn't first have a kid with Zeus, and _then_ Poseidon," I tell him.

"Well, then yeah, I guess you do have a point," he admits.

"THEN HELP ME! I'm too young to die!" I shake his shoulders.

"Ariella, we're the same age," Nico reminds me.

"But you _can't _die! You can just come back to life while I'm stuck dwelling in the Underworld," I shudder.

"The Underworld is a cool place!" Nico defends.

"Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to," I inform him.

"And I regret sitting with you."

Nico PoV:

I think Ariella is the most annoying person I've ever met. She's nice in the first few seconds you meet her. So, I decided to sit with her on the bus ride. We're the same age, so I figured we must get along. But after a minute with her, I was ready to send her to the Underworld.

"That wasn't very nice!"

"I don't care," I look out the window of the bus.

"Well, you should!" Ariella pouts.

"Well, I don't."

"Fine!" she goes into her backpack and pulls out a white IPod touch and headphones and begins to listen to music.

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm bored out of my mind because she's no longer talking to me. "Hey, Ariella." I say.

No response.

"Ariella!"

Nothing.

This time, I tap her shoulder. "Ariella!"

"Yeah?" she takes a headphone out of her ear.

"Can I listen with you?" I ask.

"Sure," she sighs, handing me the headphone.

"I thought demigods and technology don't mix well," I say as I put the headphone in.

"They don't."

"Then why do you have an IPod?" I ask her.

"Oh, it's a monster free one. Hephaestus gave it to me." She tells me.

"You are Hephaestus are friends?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"It's a long story," she replies and I get a feeling that she doesn't want to talk about it. So, I concentrate on the music we're listening. The music to the song has been going on for over a minute now and there are still no words. I'm about to pull the headphone out of my ear and accuse Ariella of listening to weird music when it finally starts.

_There was a time when the sky_

_Held the answers for the things I couldn't find,_

_But what happens when you're blind?_

_A shooting star once said to me_

_That nothing's really what it seems_

_'You must make up your own mind'_

_Well I'll try this time_

_So I look to the world outside oh_

_All of a sudden, I'm eating my insides_

_The tiny words that break your heart,_

_They're breaking and entering_

_So I look but you're not by my side_

_Whatever happened to 'I would rather die'?_

_The things that make you fall apart_

_They're breaking and entering_

"That's so weird!" I exclaim.

"If you don't like my music then I want my headphone back!" she orders.

"No, I like it. It's just, so unlike you."

"What?" she cocks her head at me.

"This song is like, rock and alternative music. I pictured you to like pop music." I tell her.

"Why?" she asks me.

"It fits your personality. You're bubbly and soft. Not angry, like this song." I inform her.

"Well, maybe that's why I like it so much," she answers. "Because it makes me feel like someone I'm not."

"You don't like who you are?" I ask her.

"No! I do!"

"Then…" I start but then stop. "Never mind."

"Alright…" she looks at me weirdly.

Once the song is over, I demand, "Give me the IPod."

"What? No! It's mine!"

"I want to play a song," I tell her as I grab it out of her hands. I scroll through her artist list before I find it. "You like All Time Low too?" I exclaim.

"Yeah!" she nods.

"Awesome!" I smile before I play my favorite song of theirs, Paint You Wings.

_When will the princess figure out she ain't worth saving_

_Heavy the head that bears the crown_

_Of my mistaken apathy for sympathy_

_I was never good enough to be anything but a remedy_

_To all of your constant pressing needs_

_And I never learned, so_

_I painted a picture of the things I wanted most_

_To color in the darker side of all my brightest hopes_

_But there was a monster standing where you should be_

_So I'll paint you wings, and I'll set you free_

"It's weird we have the same taste in music," I tell her.

"Maybe we're destined to be friends. Like our fates are intertwined somehow," she suggests. If she said that a minute ago, I might have laughed at her and stayed as far away from her as possible. But now, I'm thinking she isn't so bad after all… You know, when she's not having a panic attack about being in the air...


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey kids! (Or teenagers...) What's up? Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was at a family party. But, I hope I make up for it today! This is probably my favorite chapter yet because you learn somethings about Zach, Will and Cassia... Hope you like it!**

**Please review!**

Chapter Four:

Will PoV:

"Thanks for the ride, dad," I say as I step out of the bus. He landed in the middle of the woods in Vermont.

"Anytime!" Apollo smiles. "So, where are you going next?"

"Maine," I tell him. "Hopefully, we'll get some hints of where the snow goddess is and then try and get her to stop her snow curse."

"Alright then," he says as he steps back in the bus. "Iris Message me if you need another ride."

Cassia steps in front of me. "And we _won't _be needing another ride. Thanks for that extremely bumpy ride, Lord Apollo. If I ever want to get vomit while driving through the air, I'll be sure to call you."

I don't think my father noticed that she was being rude to him because he just starts laughing. "You're a funny kid!" he exclaims.

"Thank you?" she replies, unsure if he's serious or not.

"Well, we better be going," I announce. "Bye dad! Come on guys, let's get going."

Apollo shuts the door of the bus and lifts up in the air and leaves. "Will?" Ariella calls.

"Yeah?" I walk over to her.

"Are we going to be _walking _all the way to Maine?" she asks me.

"No," I shake my head. "We're going to walk through the woods and hopefully, find a town. From there, we'll take a taxi."

She whines. "This is going to hurt my feet!"

"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come along, Ariella!" Zach scolds her.

"Why? I didn't do anything!" she responds.

"I knew you'd constantly be complaining," he informs her.

"Wow! You know me well," she exclaims.

"I'm your brother. I've lived with you for thirteen years. How would I not know you?" he asks her.

"Maybe if you lived under a rock," Ariella suggests.

"Guys, let's just go," I say as I start walking.

"How do you know that's the right direction?" Cassia asks me.

"Do you have a better idea of which way to go?" I demand.

"Yeah, I do." She replies. "I used to live in Vermont."

"I thought you lived in Chicago!" Zach responds.

"And I thought you lived in Colorado!" Ariella says.

"I moved around in my life a lot, okay?" she snaps. "And Will, we're going this way." She points the opposite direction that I was walking in.

"Alright, _Princess_. We'll go whichever direction _you _want."

Cassia PoV:

"Well, _Peasant_," I snap. "My direction is better than yours because I know exactly where we are _and_ exactly how far we have to walk until we reach the nearest town."

"How far then?" he challenges.

"Three miles and two hundred feet." I recall.

"You seem to know this area pretty well," Will responds. "How can I trust you? Because it seems to me that you're lying."

"I already said I used to live here." I say through my teeth.

"You lived in _this _part of Vermont? In the wooded area with no houses?" he questions me.

"I am familiar with this part of Vermont, but I lived in Killington, which isn't too far from here." I cross my arms.

"Whatever," he narrows his eyes at me. "Lead the way, if you're so sure of yourself."

I don't reply, but I turn around and walk the other way. Everyone follows, and Will lags behind. He's still walking with us, just a lot slower than a normal person.

"That peasant thing was pretty funny," Zach whispers to me after he runs to catch up with me.

"If I'm a princess, he's a peasant." I reply.

"I don't think he took that well," Zach looks behind us.

"Who would? I mean, it's pretty insulting," I smirk.

"Yeah… But this gets me thinking that I don't want you on my bad side," he tells me.

"Trust me, you don't." I inform him.

"I figured," he nods. "So, why did you move around so much as a kid?"

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"But it's cool! You've probably seen a lot of the United States because of it." He assumes.

"Yeah, I've been to most states, but I wouldn't consider it cool." I respond.

"Why not?" he asks me.

"I told you before; I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"But…" he starts.

"Zachery Levi! I said I didn't want to talk about it!" I snap and then quicken my pace.

"But if you ever need to talk to anyone about it…" he walks up next to me.

I slap him hard on the cheek. "I will never need to talk about it to anyone. Ever!"

"Relax! I was just trying to make you feel better!" he replies.

"Well, you failed at it! I feel even worse now. Thanks for nothing. Goodbye now!" I say before I shadow travel twenty feet ahead of him.

"Hey! That's not fair! No powers!" he shouts up to me.

"Too bad!" I call back before continuing to walk. I beginning to hate this kid more and more…

Zach PoV:

Desperate times call for desperate actions. Right? That's what my grandmother used to tell me. And so, at this current moment, I'm very desperate. I just want to figure out why Cassia doesn't want to talk about living here. So, my desperate action is to control the winds and fly over to where she is.

"Hey!" I say as I land right next to her. "So, want to tell me?"

"No!" she yells. "I don't want you to know! In fact, I don't want _anyone _to know! It's none of your business why I ran away from home!"

Oh… That's why she didn't want to tell me. "You know, you just said why you know this place so well…"

Cassia slaps me once again before disappearing into the shadows and reappears on a rock about fifty feet down. Her head is buried in her hands, no doubt that she's crying.

The cold air makes my eyes sting **(A/N: Has this ever happened to anyone before? Like when it's snowing really hard or when it's cold?) **and my cheek where I've been slapped twice burns. But, I run to the rock, with nothing on my mind besides the words _what have I done?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! This chapter is kind of sad and short... But it's cute. :) Enjoy and review!**

Chapter 5:

Ariella PoV:

"Zach! What did you do?" I shout as I pull him back from running to Cassia.

"Nothing!" he defends.

"Then why is my sister over there crying?" Nico demands.

"Well, I might have tried to get her to tell me something…" he starts.

"You tried to find out why she knew this place so well, didn't you?" Nico assumes.

"Yeah…"

"She doesn't like talking about it," I tell him.

"Obviously!" Zach exclaims.

"Listen Zach," Nico says. "She's had a troubled past. She ran away from home a few times…"

"So did most demigods," he cuts Nico off. "So, why is she making such a big deal about it?"

"It's more than that," Nico assures him. "But I don't think she'd want me to tell you."

"Why do you get to know and I don't?" Zach asks him.

"I'm her half-brother and you're her least favorite person, ever. She hates you. Plus, I was with her for a lot of it."

"Ugh. Fine. I'll go talk to her," Zach starts walking but I once again hold him back.

"No," I tell him. "I will."

"Why you?" he questions me. "You're annoying."

"_You're _annoying. You pestered that poor girl until she shattered. You _broke_ Cassia." I snap before walking over to her.

"Go away!" she sobs as I approach her.

"How did you know I was here?" I ask her as I sit down next to her.

"I could sense your soul," she wipes away the tears from her eyes. "It's a child of Hades thing."

"Oh," I say. "I'm sorry my brother bothered you."

"And I'm sorry Zach's your brother." She replies.

"He's honestly not that bad," I tell her. "He's just determined. He'll do anything to figure someone out, and in your case, he tried to annoy you into telling him."

"That's certainly a way to make people hate him," Cassia responds.

"Well, yeah. Not many people get along with him. He's too bossy for most people." I inform her. "But he's my brother, so I have to at least tolerate him."

"If you weren't siblings, would you still like him?" she asks me.

I think about that for a little while. Bad memories fill my head of all the times he's bothered me, been mean to me and called me annoying. I rack my brain for any time when he's ever been a nice to me.

"No," I admit but as soon as I say it, I regret it. A memory came back into my mind. I promised myself I'd never speak or think of what happened that day, ever. I blocked it out of my memory. Maybe because I was ashamed or maybe because I didn't understand it at the time. But suddenly, the vision became clear, yet it still blocked out my vision and made me relive that day.

_ "Ariella! Go! Run and go get someone to help us!" Zach shouted at me as he hopelessly stabbed at the giant lion with a knife my mom gave him. _

_ "No!" I sobbed. "I won't leave you!"_

_ "You have to!" he gasped. "You'll die if you stay here!"_

_ "But what about you?" I asked him. _

_ "I'll be okay," he tried to assure me. "If I go down, it'll be heroic. I'll die fighting."_

_ "Zach, I'm not leaving you!" I stomped my foot on the ground of the alleyway. My brother and I were asked to go get something for my mom, but we started fighting and didn't even notice that there was a giant Nemean Lion following us. And when we did, it was too late. It already dragged us here and started attacking Zach._

_ "Yes. You. Will!" he demands. _

_ "I can't leave you to die alone," I cried even harder. And just when I thought things couldn't get even worse, they did. The lion took his giant paw and scratched through Zach's shirt. The nails went through his skin and he blacked out as he fell to the floor._

"Ariella!" Cassia pinches me in the arm.

"OW!" I shout. "What was that for?"

"You randomly stopped talking," she replies.

"Sorry. Flashback," I admit, "And about Zach, he's the most annoying person that I've ever met. He's bossy, he always follows the rules, and he's orderly, which makes me hate him. That's normal for siblings to feel that way towards each other. But on the other hand, he's probably the nicest person I know. He'd do anything for someone. He'd even sacrifice himself to save someone else. So, even if he wasn't my brother, I'd still like him."

**And the reason why Zach had such difficulty fighting that lion is because it was made so weapons can't kill it. Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hola everyone! Another dramatic chapter... I've got to stop making it so dramatic and move them on with their quest... Meh. I've got a thing for writing drama though... No matter how hard I try, I always end up writing it. :(**

**Oh well. Besides that, I hope you enjoy! Remember to review!**

Chapter 6:

Nico's PoV:

Who knew that a quest trying to keep camp from freezing over would be so dramatic? I certainly didn't. I mean, we _should_ be almost there by now. But no. Will and I are stuck in the middle of a fight.

"We need to learn how to tolerate each other if we're going to succeed on this quest," Will tells us. "So, we're going to do a friendly exercise!"

"Oh gods," I moan.

"So, first, we're all going to say one thing that we like about… Nico! No repeating," Will tells us.

"Why are we doing this?" Cassia whines.

"So you guys can put aside your differences and learn to get along!" he smiles. "So, Ariella, you go first. What do you like about Nico?"

"He has good taste in music!" she announces.

"What about you, Cassia?"

"He can help someone through a tough time," she crosses her arms.

"Zach?"

"He has cool powers," he admits.

"Now my turn!" Will exclaims. "He's good at breaking up arguments. So, now everyone say something nice about Ariella."

"She's… usually a good sister," Zach admits.

"She's a good friend," Cassia shrugs.

"She's cool, unlike most girls our age," I say.

"And she's cute," Will replies. If anyone else said that, I'd be freaked out because it's pedophilic, but we're all around the same age, except for Will. He's sixteen, Zach and Cassia are fourteen, and Ariella and I are only thirteen. So, it makes it less creepy and weird.

"Now say something nice about Cassia!"

"She's opinionative," Zach smirks.

"She's nice… to me," Ariella responds.

"She's a good dancer!" I recall.

"And Cassia is good at fighting," Will concludes.

"How is that a compliment?" Cassia questions him. "You make it seem like I'm an angry son of Ares."

"Well, you're an angry daughter of Hades if that counts," Zach fights back.

"There's a big difference between those two," Cassia smiles fakely at him. "One of the main ones is that daughters of Hades can kill you on the spot while sons of Ares can kill you during a fight. Would you like to experience it?"

"I'm good," he says quietly.

"I thought so," she rolls her eyes at him.

"We didn't say anything about Zach yet," Will reminds us. "I'll start. He's a good singer."

"How did you know that?" Zach cocks his head at him.

"You sing so loudly in the shower, the whole camp can hear," Will tells him.

"I'm glad someone told me," he mumbles.

"Silly, Zach! Someone just did!" Ariella laughs.

"I was being sarcastic," he replies.

"So, Nico, say something about Zach," Will urges.

"He's funny."

Ariella pipes up, "He'd do anything for someone else."

Everyone stares at Cassia. "What?" she demands.

"You're supposed to say something you like about me," Zach informs her.

"Oh," she nods. "I didn't say anything because I don't like anything about you."

"Cassia," I cross my arms. "Just say something so we can get on with this quest! We've only got a few days before camp freezes over!"

"What about my face?" Zach motions towards his head. "What's not to like about this face?"

"Too many things," she replies. "But, I'll say you're determined."

"See guys?" Will smiles. "We're all so much closer now. We might even make it all the way to Maine without fighting again."

"Uh… No." I shake my head. "Zach and Cassia can't last three minutes without arguing."

"I've got an idea!" Ariella jumps up and down.

"What is it?" Zach asks her.

"What is what?" she asks him.

"You're idea," he says impatiently. I'm getting a feeling that this happens a lot.

"Which one?"

"The one you just thought of!" he exclaims. "Actually, never mind…"

"Oh! That one!" she laughs. "Okay, so why don't we follow the rule 'if you've got nothing nice to say, say nothing at all!' That's what Zach told me to follow!"

"Ariella, I only said that because I wanted you to shut up," he tells her.

"I like that idea!" Will cheers. "That's what we're going from now on, got it?"

"No," I mumble.

"What was that, Nico?" Cassia smirks, obviously hearing what I just said.

"I said 'I can't wait,'" I glare at her.

"I thought so," Will smiles.

Zach speaks next. "How about we find a rainbow and contact camp? We could tell them that we got to Vermont, semi safely, and ask them how camp is doing."

"Good idea," I reply. "So, where are we supposed to find a rainbow?"

"Well, I could summon some water to spray somewhere," Ariella suggests.

"And then we could angle in perfectly in the sunlight!" Will announces.

"Or you could just use your weird sunshine powers and make it a rainbow," Cassia reminds him.

"Well, yeah. I guess we could do that too," he ponders.

"Then let's get to work," I sigh.

"Kay," Ariella says as she creates a watery mist.

Will makes the sun shine directly at the mist which causes our rainbow to form. "Anyone got any drachmas?" I ask as I search my pockets.

"I do," Zach throws one into the colorful creation. "O Iris Goddess of rainbows, accept our offering! Show us Chiron at Camp Half Blood!"

An image appears and I instantly recognize Chiron, for he is the only white half horse in the picture, but camp is unrecognizable. "What happened?" Will gasps.

"Things are getting worse here," Chiron tells us. "So much snow is falling that it's hard to walk in. You guys must finish your quest soon. Camp won't survive another three days."

I shrug. "I don't see what's so wrong with that. I've never liked that place."

"But everyone's in danger!" Zach exclaims. "We've got to act fast!"

"It was a joke," I inform him. "But the part about me hating that place is true, though."

"Sorry, Chrion. We can talk now. We've got to go finish this quest," Zach waves his hand through the image.

"Zach, why would you do that?" Cassia demands.

"Two reasons," he replies. "One, we can't afford to waste time talking to a horse. And two, Ariella just passed out."

"AND YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT?" I shout as I run over to her. I kneel down next to her as I open my backpack and dig out a square of Ambrosia.

"I tried," Zach joins me on the floor. "By ending that message."

"What happened to her?" Cassia asks us.

"It's hard for her to create mist," Zach responds. "That's the one thing she can't do."

"Then why would she do something she can't?" Will questions him.

Zach takes the Ambrosia from my hand and puts it in his younger sister's mouth. "I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"

"If you haven't noticed, your sister's currently knocked out," Will snaps.

"Whatever happened to that 'if you've got nothing nice to say, don't say it at all,' rule?" I remind them.

"Ariella passed out, which means we don't have to follow it anymore. It was her idea, remember?" Cassia recalls.

"Can we all stop fighting and focus on the main problems for once?" Zach shouts. "Camp is getting buried under killer snow and my sister isn't waking up…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey people! Sorry for not updating yesterday. I had to go to the meeting for the school play after school and it went really late. Then, I had a ton of homework. But, I hope this chapter makes up for it :) Review to tell me what you think! Enjoy!**

Chapter Seven:

Zach PoV:

Being an older brother is hard. I mean, you always have to look out for your younger siblings so they don't end up passed out on the ground… which proves that I am a terrible brother.

"Can we all stop fighting and focus on the main problems for once?" I demand. "Camp is getting buried under killer snow and my sister isn't waking up…"

"What are we going to do?" Cassia face palms.

"Guys, this isn't good," Nico says nervously.

"Obviously!" I snap.

"No… Well, yeah. But I wasn't talking about that." He replies before getting serious. "Ariella is dying."

"No!" I shout as I shake her violently.

"How do you know?" Will asks him.

"I can feel her soul fading. Her spirit is almost down in the Underworld," Nico informs us.

"Will!" Cassia calls out. "Do something! You're the son of Apollo, the god of medicine. You should know how to heal someone."

"I don't think there's much I can do," Will sighs. "But I'll try." He takes off his backpack and opens it up. He puts a container of nectar to Ariella's lips and forces it down her, but nothing happens.

"Oh no…" I mutter. "Mom is going to _kill _me!"

"It's okay, Zach. Calm down." I pat him on the back. "I'll go down to the Underworld and get her. Our quest will be delayed a bit, but we'll do what we have to."

"Wait!" Will says. "My dad taught me something once. It's a healing song. He said it only works when the person is really hurt, and nectar and Ambrosia isn't helping them."

"That's the situation Ariella's in right now," Cassia orders, "so just sing your stupid song!"

"Okay," he nods before beginning to sing some weird song in ancient Greek. I, being a demigod, understand what's he's saying.

As soon as he finishes, Ariella's eyes flutter open. "ARIELLA!" I shout.

"I'm awake for one second and your _already _yelling at me?" she asks faintly.

"Wow. You really wore yourself out," Cassia responds. "Maybe we should stop for the night?"

"But we've only got a few days left to finish this…" I start.

"And everyone's tired and your sister just got saved from death." Cassia reminds me. "So, let's stop for the night."

"Fine. But where are we going to sleep? We're in the middle of nowhere."

"There's a cave a mile farther. Nico and I can shadow travel us there," I tell him.

"Okay," I sigh. I grab on to everyone and soon enough, we disappear into the shadows.

Cassia PoV:

We reappear in the familiar cave. Everything was just how I left it… Two small beds made from leaves were in the corners and had old blankets on them.

"That was completely terrifying," Will gasps.

"You'll get used to it," I respond.

"Wow… Come here often?" Zach smirks.

"Often enough to make a home out of it," I cross my arms. "So, we'll take turns guarding the cave."

"So Ariella will do last watch because she's tired," Nico says. "So, I'll do that with her."

"I'll do first watch," Will offers.

"No." I shake my head. "You're under enough stress leading this quest. I'll do it."

"Me too," Zach replies.

"Okay," he nods. "Boys in one bed and girls in the other?"

"Sure," Nico says as they climb into one bed and Ariella climbs into the other. It's quite obvious that they all fall asleep as soon as they lay down because the sound of heavy breathing coats Zach and I.

"Cassia, go to sleep. I can do this alone," Zach tells me.

"I don't want to sleep," I cross my arms as I sit down with my back against the cave wall. "This place brings back too many bad memories."

He sits down next to me. "Then why did you offer to take us here?"

"We needed a place where Ariella could rest," I respond. Plus, no monsters ever attacked me while I was here. But I don't say that out loud. Mentioning stuff like that makes monsters find you easier.

"Oh," he nods slowly. "It was good Will saved her with that song."

"He's a really good singer," I admit.

"I'm better," Zach says quickly.

I smirk. "Sure you are."

"It's true," he tries to assure me.

"Why would I believe that a son of Zeus has a better singing voice than a son of Apollo?" I ask him.

"Well maybe because this specific son of Zeus is very perfect," he grins.

"Whatever puts you to sleep at night," I roll my eyes.

"I've got it all." Zach tells me. "An amazing singing voice, a fantastic personality, I'm good looking…"

"I don't agree with the fantastic personality part," I reply. "Because if you actually had a good one, you wouldn't go around announcing how good looking you are."

"Well maybe I like to announce it because it's true," he fights back.

"Maybe if you didn't announce it so much girls would actually think it!" I snap.

"So you _don't _think I'm attractive?"

"What does this have to do with anything?" I moan.

"You're avoiding the question," Zach says in a sing song voice.

"You're getting on my last nerve," I mock him.

"Sorry," he mumbles before being quiet.

I sigh. "No, I'm sorry for being so mean to you all the time."

"It's okay. That's how you are naturally," he pats my back.

"Don't touch me," I order.

"See?" he replies as he quickly takes his hand away.

"Yeah, I guess…" I sigh.

"So you're saying I _am _good looking?" he smirks.

"You're impossible!" I throw my hands up in the air. "I can't even have a normal conversation with you without getting annoyed!"

He stays quiet for a while before speaking up. "Hey, wait a second!"

"What?" I snap as I turn to look at him.

"There are four children on the Big Three on this quest and no monsters have attacked yet…"

The ground shakes and roaring fills my ears. I jump up on instinct and press the skull ring that's on my middle finger. My black, Stygian Iron sword appears in my hand. Zach jumps up to and takes his knife out of his pocket. I turn around to face him and press his chest into the wall. "Zach! What have you done?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Sorry for not updating, but I was SO busy yesterday! **

**I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter! :D**

**Remember to review!**

Chapter 8:

Will PoV:

As soon as the ground starts shaking, I instantly jolt up. "WHAT IS GO- '' I shout but then stop short when I turn to see Cassia pinning Zach up against the wall. "Am I interrupting something?" I smirk.

"No!" Cassia blushes. "Zach just sent a whole army of monsters after us!"

"That's not a proven fact…" he says as he tries to get free of her tight grip.

"Really? Why don't you ask the giant Nemean Lion that's waiting outside of the cave what he thinks?" Cassia snaps.

"How do you know what monster it is?" he cocks his head before going wide eyed. "Nemean Lion?"

"Yes, was I not clear enough for your liking?" Cassia snaps as he finally lets him go. "Nico, Ariella, wake up!" she shouts.

They both rise from the ground. "What's wrong?" Ariella asks.

"Monster," Nico tells her. "I can feel it. It escaped from the Underworld."

Zach changes the subject. "Are you sure it's a Nemean Lion?" he questions her.

"Yes. I can feel it because it escaped from the Underworld," she confirms.

"But… I can't fight that thing!" he squeaks.

"Why not?" I demand.

Zach lifts up his shirt and shows us four thick scars covering his stomach. "This is why."

"A Nemean Lion did that to you?" Nico asks him.

"Yeah," he replies. "It's useless to fight. Weapons can't hurt it."

"Hercules killed it by strangling it," Ariella informs us.

"Easy," I say. "So, we strangle it."

"It's going to be protective of its neck," Nico responds. "A monster never forgets…" Before he could finish, the lion pounds through the cave opening, and roars.

Ariella PoV:

For someone who usually takes charge in every situation, Zach was doing a terrible job in this one. If he considers whimpering in the corner of the room 'heroic' then _he _ should be listening to _me. _

"EVERYONE! ATTACK AT THE SAME TIME!" I shout. "IT WILL HAVE A HARDER TIME PROTECTING ITSELF IF FIVE, well, four, PEOPLE ATTACK!"

Everyone runs over to it and begins to hit it in hope that it will do something. But, the lion ignores all of them and focuses his attention on my idiotic brother.

"Zach! Do something!" Will orders.

"No," he shakes back and forth.

"It's useless," Nico sighs. "He's not moving, and he's not going help."

"We can't say I didn't try," Will responds as I pulls on the tail of the lion.

"RAWR!" the lion bellows as he turns around to face Will.

"Hiya," Will says nervously. "Want to leave us alone and go find other people to kill?"

"Talking to monsters and telling them to go away doesn't work," Cassia snaps.

"It does if you can charm speak…" I inform her before letting my voice trail off. If my mom can charm speak, does that mean I can too? "Hey! Lion!" I call his attention over to me.

"We don't like you and we think you smell bad. So, leave our cave." I cross my arms.

"RAWR!" the lion snarls before charging at me. I guess I don't have the charm speak ability. And I guess lion's don't like it when you tell them they smell bad.

Reality hits me. "AH!" I scream. "I'M GOING TO DIE!" Just when the lion is inches away from me, I side step and sink my teeth into the side of its neck. Suddenly, the lion disappears, leaving the taste of dust in my mouth.

Zach runs over to me, "Are you alright? What happened?"

I spit before speaking. "Yeah. I bit that lion."

"Why…?" Cassia raises an eyebrow at me.

"Because you can't kill it with weapons, silly!" I laugh.

"So you killed the lion by biting it?" Zach clarifies.

"Yup," I nod.

"You're such a cannibal," he smiles as he rolls his eyes playfully at me.

"You're just jealous that I actually did something instead of crying in the corner!" I smirk.

"What a hero," Cassia crosses her arms.

Zach turns around to face her, anger flaring in his eyes. "That thing almost killed me!"

"But it didn't," she snaps.

"I was in a coma for five days!" Zach exclaims.

"That's better than being in a coma for six days," she challenges.

"Why does everything have to be a competition with you?" he demands. "I can't do anything or say anything without being one-upped by you!"

"Well maybe that's because I'm better than you."

"I'd like to see you try and kill that thing while trying to protect your younger sister!" he tests her.

"I don't have a sister," she narrows her eyes at him.

"You're impossible!" Zach throws his hands up in the air.

"You're an idiot!" she shouts back at him. "That lion was charging at your sister and you did _nothing _but sit in that corner and cry!"

"It's not like you did anything either!" he yells.

"She's not my sister. I don't need to protect her!"

Fed up with all the arguing, I scream, "I DON'T NEED TO BE PROTECTED! I can handle myself on my own!"

"That was one lucky time, Ariella. Things aren't going to always work out like that," Zach tries to warn me.

"I know they won't. And whether they do or don't isn't up to you, Zach." I tell him. "You can't prevent these types of things from happening…"

Cassia cuts me off. "If he didn't talk about how no monsters showed up, this whole thing wouldn't have happened..."

I continue and ignore her. "It's my fate what happens to me, Zach. You can't protect me forever. If that lion killed me, then it was meant to happen. This isn't about you. You can't spend your whole life monitoring what I do. You have to let me do what I can. I'm not five anymore."

"I'll try," he smiles sadly as he pulls me into a hug.

"Aw!" Will cheers.

"So…" I pull away from my brother. "What do we do next?"


End file.
